Second World Online

The blue light from the teleportation pillar slowly faded, releasing us from the distortion of space and time. The sharp sulfur smell, the humid swamp air, and the stench of scorched insect flesh from Murkwater Swamp were instantly replaced by the fresh city air filled with the aroma of toasted bread, wheat beer, and the bustle of night life. We had returned to the main square of StoneBrook City.

Yuuki stretched, comfortably extending all four of her legs. Her three thick-furred tails swayed lazily, as if sweeping imaginary swamp dust from her snow-white fur.

"Ah… finally! A safe city, bright, and no slimy monsters!" Yuuki exclaimed cheerfully. She turned toward Yuna, Lumina, and Flora standing beside her. "Friends, let's go to the Forest Cat Tavern at the end of the street! I heard the NPC chef there just released an apple pie menu that boosts stamina! Tonight's on me! We'll use the gold coins from the spider boss loot earlier!"

"That's a brilliant idea!" Lumina replied with sparkling eyes, tightly gripping her magic staff. "I need something sweet and warm tea to erase the terrifying image of those giant spider legs from my head."

"I want some too! Don't forget me!" Flora chirped happily, flying circles around Lumina's head.

"You all go ahead first," I cut in while adjusting the position of the giant Titan's Ironbark bow on my back, making sure it wouldn't hinder the movement of my cloak. I had absolutely no intention of celebrating this victory with apple pie; my avatar's stomach indicator still showed 90%. "I have business elsewhere tonight. My clothes are already too worn out for battles at this level. I need something new."

"Going to see Miss Kitsuna, Teacher?" Yuna asked, sheathing her large axe onto her back.

I nodded slightly. "Yes. I just obtained extraordinary Epic-class textile materials. It would be a shame and a waste of inventory space if materials like that were just left sitting unused for too long."

Yuuki stepped closer, nuzzling her soft-furred head against my shin in a spoiled manner. "Alright, Sis Syl! Don't work too hard in your workshop! Remember your real-world time, don't let Sis Mira get angry because you're exhausted!" she whispered as a warning so other players wouldn't overhear.

I smiled faintly behind my bangs and bent down to stroke her fox ears. "I know, you chatterbox. You three have fun."

After the '5 Beautiful Girls' party officially disbanded for the night, I separated from the square crowd and took the route toward the city's Commercial District. Unlike the quiet residential streets, the Commercial District at night was a sea of players that never slept. Magic-powered neon lamps illuminated the cobblestone roads. The voices of street vendors, shouts of players looking for party members, and the clanging of metal from equipment shops all blended into a distinctive orchestra of noise.

Among the grand buildings and tent stalls, I stopped in front of a two-story wooden building that stood out with its elegant aesthetic design. The signboard above the door was carved with golden thread vines and bore neatly written lettering: "Kitsuna Boutique – Intermediate Tailor".

Since the Wyvern invasion incident a few weeks ago, Kitsuna was no longer a retail reseller who had to shout in the middle of the square. She had dedicated all her time, capital, and skill points purely to focusing on the tailor profession. Thanks to the capital injection from our past mud bomb sales partnership, she had successfully purchased the ownership rights to a permanent building in the heart of this Commercial District.

I pushed open the wooden door. The soft chime of a silver bell rang throughout the room, announcing my arrival.

Inside, the atmosphere contrasted sharply with the noise outside. The place was neatly arranged, fragrant with lavender, and warm. Teak wood shelves displayed several Uncommon-tier mage robes and Rare-tier light leather armor with extremely detailed stitching.

Behind the glass cashier counter at the end of the room, Kitsuna was sitting with her chin propped on her hand, staring blankly at the entrance with a thoroughly bored expression. The Beastkin player in humanoid form occasionally flicked her thick orange fox tail lazily, while the pair of orange fox ears on her head drooped slightly. Because the hour was already very late, the shop was empty of visitors.

The moment the corner of her eye caught my figure entering with pale silver hair and the characteristic dull gray cloak, her eyes widened perfectly. Her orange fox ears stood upright instantly, and her boredom vanished into thin air.

"Yo, Syl!" Kitsuna exclaimed, jumping up from her high stool and leaning on the cashier counter with a grinning smile that showed her small fangs. "Good grief, it's been so long since you stopped by my humble little shop! I thought you'd forgotten about me after you evolved into a top-tier celebrity on the server and became known by the nickname 'Mad Alchemist'."

My steps paused briefly in the middle of the room. I furrowed my brow, feeling a slight twitch in my patience vein.

"Who the hell was the first one to give me that ridiculous nickname?" I grumbled softly, walking closer to her display counter. "I'm an archer, not a pure crazy crafter who likes experimenting recklessly."

Kitsuna burst into loud laughter, her orange tail swinging left and right at high speed. "Hahaha! Come on, Syl. Don't be naïve. You massacred an entire criminal Guild with corrosive gas, then blew up a giant boss with high-destructive-power bombs that even no engineer could make yet. No normal archer fights like you! Everyone on the forums agrees that you resemble a psychopathic scientist who happens to carry a bow more than a forest-guarding Ranger."

I could only let out a long sigh, surrendering to the power of digital public opinion that often exaggerated the facts. I hadn't come here to argue about nicknames.

"Whatever they say on the forums. I didn't come here to reminisce or discuss gossip, Miss Fox," I replied in the same playful tone. "I need new armor. Make me a special set tonight."

I swept open my inventory interface panel, pressed two item slots, and let them materialize right on top of Kitsuna's glass display counter.

The roll of [Arachne's Queen Silk] that radiated a pure white glow like clouds, and a [Broodmother's Spinneret] gland that still pulsed slowly, emitting a dark golden magic aura.

"Make me armor whose stats purely focus on increasing Intelligence (INT) and Dexterity (DEX)," I instructed in the flat tone of a regular customer. "I don't need additional vitality or heavy plate defense. Just something extremely light that doesn't restrict my movement at all, yet has physical durability that isn't easily pierced by sharp weapons."

Kitsuna did not respond.

The room suddenly fell silent. Kitsuna's finely furred hands trembled as she tried to touch the silk roll. Her golden-yellow eyes seemed sucked in and hypnotized by the pure thread woven with absolute venom. The reddish-gold aura representing Epic-tier rarity reflected clearly on her face.

"Hey. Kitsuna," I called, tapping the glass counter twice with my knuckles.

No response at all. Her mouth was slightly open as she gazed at the Epic status of the material in front of her as if she were seeing a divine relic that had descended from the heavens onto her table.

I snorted softly. "Hey, Orange Fox. Stop daydreaming," I said a bit louder, calling her a second time.

Kitsuna jerked backward as if she had just been electrocuted. She blinked several times, then lifted her face to look at me with wildly sparkling eyes. Her breathing was rapid, her chest rising and falling quickly.

"S-Syl… this… this is material from a Level 40 Field Boss, right?!" Kitsuna shrieked, her voice rising in excitement until it made some of the dust on the shelves vibrate. She leaned her body forward, gripping the edge of the table tightly. "And its rarity is pure Epic?! Oh my god! Oh my god! This is the first time in my entire career that I'm going to sew Epic-tier material! Even the head tailor of an elite Guild might never have touched Arachne silk this white!"

"So, can you process it or not?" I asked, raising one eyebrow, deliberately provoking her ego. "If your profession level isn't high enough for this tier of material yet, I can store it first until you Limit Break to the Advanced tier."

"OF COURSE I CAN! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Kitsuna snapped with burning spirit, her tail fur fluffing up to twice its normal size. "I'm a Level 20 Tailor who's been waiting for this moment! With materials this rich, I dare guarantee the crafting result will immediately trigger the requirements for my Limit Break to the Advanced tier! Leave it to me, Syl!"

With extraordinarily agile movements, Kitsuna snatched both precious materials and moved them into a velvet-lined work basket behind the counter, as if afraid the materials would fly away or that I would pull them back into my inventory.

She then frantically reached into a drawer, pulling out a thick sketchbook and a charcoal pen. Her eyes radiated the aura of a true professional ready to work overtime without sleep.

"Okay, let's talk business seriously," Kitsuna said, her tone shifting to professional in an instant. "You requested pure INT and DEX stat focus, as light a weight as possible, but high durability. What about the outer design? Most Elf archers usually wear long forest-mage-style robes or tight leaf armor. Which style do you want? Classic, elegant, or stealth?"

I touched my chin, imagining my future appearance. The worn gray cloak I often wore was already too dull, easily torn, and completely failed to reflect my current combat identity. I needed something practical for leaping between tree branches, that wouldn't interfere with drawing the cable string of my compound bow, yet elegant enough to provide psychological intimidation on the battlefield.

"Ordinary mage robes are too long and cumbersome, the hems will get caught if I maneuver in the air," I thought aloud. "And I hate those tacky fantasy armor designs with leaves."

Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind. An idea inspired by my new nickname itself and by my weapon, whose mechanics resembled modern artillery more than a simple traditional wooden bow.

"How about you make a Military Uniform design?" I suggested.

Kitsuna stopped her pen stroke in mid-air. She tilted her fox ear with a confused expression. "Military uniform? You mean like the plate armor of imperial knights? That goes against your request for light weight earlier."

"Not plate armor," I explained, leaning forward so she could hear the specifications in detail. "Something more elegant, dignified, yet providing absolute mobility. Make me a pure snow-white set. The top should be a short-cut military jacket (crop jacket) with a high collar, double gold buttons on the front, and a small red ribbon as an accent under the collar. For the bottom, a matching white pleated mini skirt joined with a black belt with a gold buckle at the waist."

Kitsuna paused her pen stroke for a moment, her eyes widening slightly. "A mini skirt? Are you sure? This is for fighting through forests, you know."

"Exactly so that my leg movements when running and jumping are completely free without the obstruction of heavy fabric," I answered convincingly. "But protect my legs with white thigh-high stockings embroidered with gold at the edges, paired with white low-heeled military boots. Then as the finishing touch… attach a long white cloak that drapes gracefully from my shoulders down nearly to my heels. Add military shoulder rank decorations with gold tassels, but make sure the material is soft so it doesn't chafe or hinder the draw of my right arm when I expand the bow."

Kitsuna listened carefully, her ears twitching as they absorbed every detail. Her pen moved at extraordinary speed across the paper, sketching a rough draft that transformed the clothing description I had given into visual form. Her eyes shone brighter and brighter as the sketch of the set took shape into something that had never existed in this city before.

"An elite military commander's uniform clad in pure snow-white…" Kitsuna murmured in admiration, staring at the result of her own sketch. She nodded enthusiastically. "This is a genius idea, Syl. The Arachne silk will make the white jacket and skirt shimmer by reflecting light and naturally repel dust or blood. Meanwhile, that Spinneret gland can be used to weave your thigh-high stockings so they have puncture resistance equivalent to Chainmail without adding any weight at all. This elegant yet lethal design suits your long silver hair, red eyes, and proportional Elf physique perfectly!"

"I'm glad you grasped the concept so quickly," my smile widened in satisfaction behind my bangs.

"Okay! Consider this order already finished! Wait until tomorrow afternoon! I'll make the best armor that has ever been born from my claws and threads!" Kitsuna exclaimed excitedly, pumping her fist into the air.

"What about the cost?" I asked, preparing to call up my balance screen, which currently still held more than four hundred gold coins thanks to previous auction profits. I didn't mind paying a high price for an Epic set.

Kitsuna waved her hand casually, rejecting my intention. "The cost can wait until tomorrow when you come for the fitting and pick up the goods. I won't set a ridiculous price for you, Syl. The opportunity and honor of being able to raise my Tailor level using pure Epic-tier material like this is already invaluable payment for me. We'll calculate the rest later."

"Alright. Let's do it that way then. I'll hold you to your promise," I nodded, appreciating her professionalism. "See you tomorrow, Orange Fox."

I turned and stepped out of Kitsuna's Boutique. The night air of StoneBrook City welcomed me once more. My main equipment business had been handled by the best person in her field, and my little sister's party was relaxing and recovering their stamina. However, my mechanical brain still refused to rest.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The time showed half past nine at night on the game interface. There were still a few hours before the system warning would force me to log out again to rest in the real world.

I opened the magic teleportation panel from my inventory and selected the direct coordinate destination to the Waypoint of Silvergrass Village.

"Time to get back to work," I whispered to myself as the blue light pillar swallowed my body.

The moment I arrived at the extremely quiet square of Silvergrass Village, I immediately walked quickly along the dirt road toward my shop, "Waterwheel." Although Arthur from the Knights of the Round faction had promised to provide extra protection for my shop through our "Shadow Alliance," I didn't see a single player bearing the sword emblem around the village.

It seemed their protection was passive and clandestine; they would crush anyone who dared to suddenly attack my shop, rather than standing stiffly guarding the shop door like cheap security. And that was far better. I truly hated being watched while concentrating.

I unlocked the double deadbolts, entered the darkness of the shop, and snapped my fingers to light the crystal hanging lamp in the back room.

The steel melting furnace and my alchemy table had cooled since the session of creating Epic+ poison and the terrifying injector arrows that morning. However, the sight that greeted me was the wooden crates of materials Arthur had sent yesterday, still neatly stacked in the corner of the room. There were still dozens of Refined Copper Ingots, sacks of High-Grade Gunpowder, and leftover elemental core powders that remained untouched.

Even though my balance was already very large, my crafter instinct or capitalist soul told me that I must not stop the production line now. Tomorrow, the Territorial War was predicted to be officially announced globally. The moment that announcement appeared, panic would sweep the Three Great Guilds. Demand for explosives on the auction market would definitely skyrocket uncontrollably. I couldn't rely solely on the exclusive secret supply for Arthur. I had to dominate the retail market monopoly as well.

"Let's make a few new variants of mud bombs, something more stable yet cheap to throw into the auction market tomorrow," I muttered while reaching for my heat-resistant leather apron from the wall peg and tying my silver hair up high.